I as I write this late at night, it still appears there is a stalemate on the debt crisis in Washington. Will the leaders come together and get a deal done? Will the markets react? We don't know. But what can Christians learn from this crisis? I see three lessons:
1) When You Put Off Hard Choices, They Get Harder Later
Let's face it, we are in this spot, because for too long we have not come to terms with our national debt. And this is the fault of both Republicans and Democrats going back many years. But really its' the fault of us, the people, because until recently any politician on either side who told us what we needed to hear--that we can't have everything we want and not pay for it--would have been soundly defeated in any election. The lesson for Christians is that putting off hard choices makes them...

For several decades Craig Glass has been a leading influencer of Christian men. He has served in a variety of ministry leadership, including 20 years with International Teams, a missions agency based in Chicago. He has also served on staff at Willow Creek Community Church, providing leadership to their men’s ministry. Today, Craig is the director of Peregrine Ministries whose vision is to lead men into inspiring adventure and authentic relationships that transform lives. He blogs regularly at his blog, Men Matter.

I’m currently working on my fourth book, a look at the unique struggles of those who grow up in the church. It’s the most difficult book I’ve written and probably the most ambitious. I have learned over the course of writing three books and numerous articles the importance of having a good editor. I’m not talking about the editor at the publisher, who is also very, very good. I’m talking about someone willing to look at your chapters when they are 80% done but you don’t know how to put them over the top. I’m talking about someone willing to go through your pride and joy and highlight areas that need to change and areas that are good. This is what makes your work good, if not great.

In trials, you cannot directly control your emotions, but you can change them indirectly by leading your mind toward the right biblical considerations. Thinking about trials God’s way generates the proper inner and outer responses. As you begin to see trials more and more from God’s viewpoint, eventually you will read the place where you can rejoice in them.
This doesn’t just happen; it takes a deliberate act to wrench your mind out of the pagan cesspool of thought into which you have allowed it to wade. Over the years, perhaps you have slackened the reins and allowed your mind to much around the swamps along the well-worn pathways of sin and misery—but now, redeemed by the good of Christ, regenerated by His Spirit and given a new heart oriented toward God and capable of living for Him, you are able to seize control for the reins and lead your mind...